E.J.McALEER & Co. INC. toolbox refresh

[LesserSon]

I picked up a worn-out EJ McAleer flip-top tote (with tools) on Wednesday, (originally posted on the Garage Sale Thread) and thought I’d see what I could do to refresh it.
Initially, I thought it had always been black, but after reading fellow GJer d42jeep comment that all his were green, I soaked it in diluted Simple Green and scrubbed it down. Thundershowers helped keep it moist, and by the end, the black paint was coming off very easily.
It was green. It is also missing two corner reinforcements / feet, and the remaining two are worn through at the bottom. A section of the piano hinge is loose near the handle. I don’t have a spot welder, so epoxy is going to effect repairs.

 

[LesserSon]

Banged the dents flat this morning.
I already have some corner reinforcements, but they aren’t quite the same profile.
A few file strokes later, a better match. I had some old JB Weld Steel Stix, so I reformed the missing bulge of the remaining feet. Sets up a lot faster than I remembered, so I barely got the second shaped in time. Regular JB Weld to hold the two new feet. Sets up slower than I remembered, so some tape to keep them in place.
Family reunion picnic tomorrow, so the bottom will have to wait for the Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, at least till Sunday. Then let that cure for a good while before rattle can.
Time to do research on the McAleer boxes.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

LS,

Nice box.

E.J. McAleer is one of three verified suppliers of that type of box (FSN 41-B-1840) during WWII. The other two are Hamilton Metal Products and Union.

Hamilton and McAleer are prized because they are branded. Union's are very easy to spot, too, because of the way they attached the handles to the lids.

McAleer had contracts with the US Army Ordnance Dept (see item 1), the US Army Signal Corps (see item 2), and the US Army Air Corps (see item 3). The chest they were supplying to the Signal Corps was the same box. I have seen other examples, and they usually have a Signal Corps data plate. I am not positive, but I suspect the Air Corps box was buying the same box. Let me put it this way, I have never seen the E.J. McAleer name on any other kind of toolbox.

 

[leg17]

....... The other two are Hamilton Metal Products and Union. ........

Is Hamilton the same as Hamilton Steel Products, of Chicago, that made coaster wagons, tricycles, and pedal cars?

 

[woody 73]

OP anyway for you to take some more close up pictures of your three screwdrivers in the above picture. Any makers marks of any kind on those old vintage screwdrivers ?

Thanks.

 

[Username already in use]

Is Hamilton the same as Hamilton Steel Products, of Chicago, that made coaster wagons, tricycles, and pedal cars?

Hamilton metal products company was based in Hamilton Ohio.

 

[Tylermorris]

OP anyway for you to take some more close up pictures of your three screwdrivers in the above picture. Any makers marks of any kind on those old vintage screwdrivers ?

Thanks.

I have very similar flathead

 

[d42jeep]

Here is one I stripped and repainted back in 2015.
https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.p...sid=dd84483011f7882389111732219222a7#p1546164
And a support bracket repair.
https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.p...sid=dd84483011f7882389111732219222a7#p1528763
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

A few pictures of a corner support replacement. At that point I didn’t have a welder available so I pop riveted them on. A little grinding and bondo and the result wasn’t too bad.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

OP anyway for you to take some more close up pictures of your three screwdrivers in the above picture. Any makers marks of any kind on those old vintage screwdrivers ?

Thanks.

The two that were in the box have nothing readable on them. The longest, with a square shank, had half a wood handle and half a broomstick, wrapped with a yard of black vinyl tape. I’ve taken it apart, because the head is good, and I think I can fashion a better “custom” handle.
The screwdriver with the split wood handle has something stamped into one of the scales, but I haven’t been able to read it. The head is pretty messed up - looks like it did a lot of service as a chisel.
The last I bought separately from the box. It has “Disston USA Electric” stamped around the 6” shank. Model 15 & 16 (bright or blued) can be found in the 1918 catalog. I’ve been collecting these as I find them, and refinishing the handles. This one is in the best condition so far. The two smallest in that pic may not be Disston - neither has any readable marks - but they look pretty close.

 

[leg17]

Hamilton metal products company was based in Hamilton Ohio.

Thanks

 

[LesserSon]

Got an hour free this morning, so I primed the bottom panel, inside & out. It’s supposed to be sunny and warm today, so all good to recoat tomorrow. The outside will get a few coats with light sanding between, to smooth out the pock marks a bit. Not as fussy about the inside. I only primed the sides as far as they were totally missing green paint.

 

[woody 73]

OP thank you for the extra pictures...

 

[LesserSon]

Today I slipped off to Walmart and picked up two cans of Krylon Satin Italian Olive. This is no match to what was on the box originally, but closer, to my eyes, than either of Rustoleum’s “camo” greens. If I had to use a Rustoleum can, it would be Deep Forest, but if I could join Doc and Marty back before I put primer on, I’d just rub the box with BLO and let it bake in the sun. As has been said of the battle scars - they give it character.
I think I have identified a decent approximation of the original color in Glidden Olive Black, but that isn’t a spray. At about $5 a can, spray isn’t a great option, unless you’re really pressed for time. If I had several repaints lined up and a month to let them dry properly, I’d probably get a quart of the Gladden mixed.
Another error was forgetting I intended to epoxy the lid hinge, until after I’d started painting. The last pic shows how I got clamping pressure where I needed it, using some 1x1” scrap.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Today I slipped off to Walmart and picked up two cans of Krylon Satin Italian Olive. This is no match to what was on the box originally, but closer, to my eyes, than either of Rustoleum’s “camo” greens.

We have similar 'eyes'. (I've used it before, as I said in my WWII Toolbox Resto "Barn Find" Look thread, linked here.) I find Krylon runnier than Rustoleum, though.

A color I used on my last box was Eden, which is very bright, but it has the perfect amount of yellow, which is hard to find in the "camo" products. I darkened it with black and used it in a techniques overlay.

 

[Username already in use]

Looking good LS.
There's a ton of debate over the correct color of olive drab, but honestly, it seems like each manufacturer had a slightly different shade. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those colors.

I like that 'Amazon Jungle' shade. I've got a Hamilton box that's a very similar shade.

I've got a few of those boxes and they're all a slightly different shade.

 

[Dibiase77]

What is the difference in the way Union attached the handles?

Sent from my Alcatel_5044R using Tapatalk

 

[Private Lugnutz]

They pounded the rectangular plates into the lids before they spot welded them, which leaves deep rectangular impressions on the inside of the lids, impression that are not found on Hamilton or McAleer 41-B-1840's. It's the quickest and easiest way to identify a Union box.

 

[Username already in use]

They pounded the rectangular plates into the lids before they spot welded them, which leaves deep rectangular impressions on the inside of the lids

Here's an example I had handy.
In addition to how they attached the handles, the hinges have many more knuckles to them and there's some tabs at each corner that hold up the tray instead of shelves on each side. And sometimes you can actually find one with the label inside still.

 

[d42jeep]

Another difference in the Union boxes is that the trays have a flat handle. This tray needs refinishing.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was trying to avoid turning LS's McAleer refresh thread into an esoteric dissertation on Union 41-B-1840 identification features, but you guys were hellbent to take it there, weren't you?!


Seriously, though, I will argue that the handle plate impressions on the inside of the lids remain the easiest and quickest way. Decals wear off, trays go missing, and you don't have to remember what kind of supports it had, or the shape of the feet (which also go missing), or the number of hinge elements.

The other boxes (McAleer, HAM MET PRODS) are typically marked. And if they're not, they're questionable.

 

[d42jeep]

We are just keeping the thread fresh.When it comes to McAleer boxes though, I have just about as many unmarked but obviously McAleer boxes as marked ones. In fact my prized stenciled GMTK box is an unmarked McAleer. It’s likely that at some point they just didn’t bother with the stamping.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Perhaps. I forgot you were a McAleer man!

 

[LesserSon]

Don’t be shy, guys: all the ID details help to steer refurbishment decisions.

I took the clamps off this morning, and the epoxy didn’t immediately fail to hold the lid to the hinge. So that’s good. Hit the missed spot with paint. Now to wait 48 hours before doing anything else.
I was thinking about the general dissatisfaction with readily available products, and I think it goes beyond color selection. Today’s paints are much better at “one coat hiding” than the paints from, say, the seventies or eighties. And whatever they used in the forties, it wasn’t rattle cans from a home store. I think what’s missing in the new paints is depth. There’s little transparency. The surface is just color, period.
It may be that automotive lacquers would be a better choice. I don’t know. Maybe next time.

 

[LesserSon]

OP thank you for the extra pictures...

Sure thing. I did get a better idea of the stamped scale; looks like “FEDERAL 7”, though I’m not sure of anything past the “A”. I may be able to get that to come out some more if I refinish the handle.
Edit: oops, I impulsively finished the handle, forgetting to put some stain in the stamped letters first. I can still see them, but they are very faint. I would not be able to read them if I didn’t already know what they said. Also reprofiled the drive head.

 

[d42jeep]

The box is looking really good, in my opinion.
I’ve had a Federal perfect handle screwdriver at some point. The 7 probably indicates the blade length. It seems like all of the perfect handle screwdrivers were listed by blade length back in the day. Here are some Federal examples (not mine) that I found on G503.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

First pic is mine. Extra Heavy Duty Machinists'.

EDIT: The "9-1/2" refers to OAL on that one. But the "6" on the other examples refers to blade length, and that was the more typical practice in those days, as Don alluded to. Tobrin forged the blade length (e.g., "6") of their OAL 11" machinists' screwdrivers on the tip. All Army SNL's specified all types of screwdrivers, not just integral handle, by blade length in the same era.

 

[LesserSon]

Spotted this in Tractor Supply Co for $5. I’m going to take the cap from the Krylon I used to see how it compares, then maybe buy it.
Edit - A-ha! Yes a deeper, warmer olive drab - at least on the cap.

 

[LesserSon]

Uggh!!!
I scoured four bigbox stores before finally finding a can of Krylon Satin Italian Olive at Lowes today. Must be camouflage season. One Walmart looked like there had been a war in the paint aisle.
But why? It’s not even the right color! That is not the color of olives, either. More like fresh oak leaves (what I need is closer to dead oak leaves).
I was standing in a TSS, staring at all the Rustoleum, and it didn’t even cross my mind to pick up the Magic. I’m not sure whether there even was any.
WHY don’t paint manufacturers produce this color? The box in question isn’t a Macaleer, nor is it from the WWII era. It’s a 1960s Thorsen-branded Huot box.
Okay, no more talk - next time I see a TSS, I’m buying a can of that dang paint!

 

[Username already in use]

That Majic brand isn't quite right either. I've used it before and have a few cans in the basement.
Don found a near perfect match online, but it's a bit pricey. From Midwest Military. Here's a LINK.
There just ins't a good match from a big box store.

 

[Username already in use]

Here's a before/after pic of a 1952 Rogers military single burner stove that I refurbished. The image on the right is the finished project painted with the Majic brand camo green paint. I even used some rubbing compound to try and make it less flat.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

There just ins't a good match from a big box store.

Concur.

It depends on the piece, though, too. The original OD on that Rogers stove had a lot of yellow in it, for example, whereas LS's Thorsen box doesn't. It actually looks like the Magik might be a good match for that Thorsen box.

If you guys missed it, I can and have vouched for the MWM TM9 product, re-doing my NAF 1156- Fasterner Kit with it, linked here. Go to page 3. But it is a bit steep in price.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is the Midwest Military paint next to two McAleer boxes. It is the closest I’ve seen to the original colors, which vary from box to box.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

Thanks for the tips, guys. Yeah, that’s a nice color match.
I think one of the problems matching is opacity. The rattle can paint manufacturers have really achieved one-coat hiding only in the last 20 years. I remember the frustration I had years ago. Layers and layers, and still seeing glint of steel coming through.
Now, trying to match something painted before is problematic. I suppose a clear coat would help, but you still have the hue issue - like Lugz said, too blue. What’s needed is raw umber toner.

 

[LesserSon]

It actually looks like the Magik might be a good match for that Thorsen box.

I bought a couple cans of Majik. I’m satisfied with the hue and tone. It would be better if it kept the same gloss-yellowy appearance dry as it has wet. It’s dead flat, and still a bit too cool. I allowed a bit of overspray to blend up the sides. I plan to rub it down with BLO when it’s really dry, which will further blend and yellow it (I hope).
Here’s a pic with a hard demarcation where I masked off the paper label. Way closer than Satin Italian Olive, but still a ways off. Overall, I’m glad I picked this box to experiment on, and I do think it’s a huge improvement over the way I found it.
Edit/update: I wire brushed the metallic silver off the latches and handle (PO must have thought they could just paint them without masking tape, I guess) and the kept brushing the overspray off the original green crinkle paint. That made the original green lose its gloss, and it ended up even closer to the Majik. The cloudy lightish contrast is more an effect of a texture difference than actual color, and is less noticeable to my eye than to the camera. Maybe still revisit with a topcoat, but good for now.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve done several boxes with the Krylon camo olive drab. The paint is too flat for my taste and any boxes I do in the future will be with the Midwest Military paint which has just about exactly the correct amount of sheen.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

To expand on what I was saying about opacity...
This weekend I learned that cheap rattlecan paint is still being made with a high degree of transparency. Rustoleum, apparently, manufactures Quick Color, sold at $.99 per can. I used five cans of Quick Color white to paint a small metal cabinet, which I estimate would have been easily covered by two cans of Stops Rust. I can still see through to the previous color. The paint spattered and, because you cannot know how much it’s building (since it’s almost invisible) there were awful runs everywhere. I’m going to let it dry thoroughly, sand it smooth, and hit it with Painters Touch or Stops Rust, or ANYTHING except more Quick Color.
I notice on the Home Depot site the Rustoleum product people responded to negative reviews of Quick Color by repeating the spraying instructions that are printed clearly on the can. But it doesn’t change the fact that this paint is not opaque. If it came in a correct hue, it would be a good topcoat for repaints. But I guess it’s just white and black. Could be, if you had a too-light OD base, a judicious topcoat of black could bring it down to the right value and add depth and sheen (if too glossy, try 1200grit wet/dry sandpaper or 3M pad to bring the sheen down where you want it?).
I tried to think of other practical uses for paint that does not supply color quickly, and it would be my go-to if I wanted to paint (white) clouds on a sky blue background, or (black) smoke over something else. Sort of a faux fade (white) or faux grime/grunge/stain (black) effect on corners, seams, etc of boxes.
Guess I’m venting frustration (index finger still numb from holding down the cheesy little trigger) but also striving for a silver lining: the product does have potential uses, just not as a hiding coat.